Brian Hutson
Maestro Tacos 2020
Fort Worth’s appetite for tacos is seemingly insatiable. A pandemic, for instance, could be going on, and taquerias would still open.
Case in point: A new high-end taqueria called Maestro Tacos has opened in the West Seventh area in the space last occupied by OMG Tacos. The kitchen will be led by chef Miguel Mendoza, a native of Monterrey, Mexico. His menu will include tacos stuffed with carnitas, barbacoa, pollo asado, al pastor, and birria; the fast-casual restaurant will also serve margaritas and rotating agua frescas. Mendoza chatted with us about the new restaurant.
FW: Fort Worth has a lot of good taquerias. What will make this one stand out?
MM: We hope that our food speaks for itself. I’m using family recipes and locally sourced ingredients. Everything will be made in-house, from our tortillas to salsas, which we are very proud of.
FW: Tell me about the birria — will it be goat or beef and how will it be prepared?
MM: Our birria starts with us marinating our beef in a combination of secret spices, ancho, guajillo, and chipotle peppers. We allow our birria to marinate for 12 hours to really penetrate the meat. We then prepare it in the traditional way — by simmering it nice and slow for seven to eight hours.
FW: We’re particular about our al pastor tacos, too.
MM: We will have an in-house rotisserie/trompo for our al pastor tacos. Our al pastor will be prepared daily and cooked slowly, making every bite juicy and caramelized to perfection.
FW: Living in Monterrey, how did you become involved with opening a taqueria in Fort Worth?
MM: I was a butcher and taquero in Monterrey for 16 years, prior to moving to the U.S. After working as a contractor the last 20 years, I finally had the opportunity to open up my very own restaurant this year. I wanted to bring the food that I loved in my hometown to my new home in Texas.
3011 Bledsoe St., maestrotacos.com
